The Genius Fatty

As Qin Wentian ventured into the foreboding depths of the Dark Forest, he couldn't shake the ominous feeling that his adversaries might lie in wait for him. Yet, since Mustang hadn't voiced any objections, he could only assume that his mentor intended for this perilous expedition to be a crucible to forge his mettle.

He contemplated his current state of cultivation, assessing his might with a sense of both pride and trepidation. "I'm at the 8th level of the Body Refinement Realm, boasting the strength of a hundred raging bulls. I reckon I can handle your run-of-the-mill first level cultivators at the Arterial Circulation Realm. However, when it comes to those Stellar Martial Cultivators at the Arterial Circulation Realm, armed with their formidable Astral Souls, I must confess my confidence wanes," he thought silently. In a hushed tone, he shared his concerns with his companion, Fan Le.

"Fan Le, perhaps it's wise for us to part ways for now. I've got some adversaries scheming to ambush me in this Dark Forest."

Beneath the gentle flicker of ember sparks, Fan Le turned his gaze toward Qin Wentian, his eyes gleaming with an unusual intensity as he grinned. "Qin Wentian, my friend, I'm no ordinary fellow in this cohort of applicants. How could I possibly abandon my comrades?"

He reassured Qin Wentian with a touch of bravado, "Fear not, my friend. Even though we're deep within the Dark Forest, I highly doubt your enemies would dare to strike while we're still in this relatively secure zone. Come on, there's light up ahead. It appears to be an open area."

Qin Wentian nodded in agreement. Despite Fan Le's somewhat uncouth demeanor, he sensed the underlying goodness in the man.

The path ahead led them to an expansive clearing, its terrain gently sloping like a verdant hillside. Several others had already erected simple tents, preparing to hunker down for some rest.

"Qin Wentian!" a voice rang out with astonishment. Qin Wentian swiveled to see the source of the familiar voice, a broad smile spreading across his face. Who would have thought he'd encounter a friendly face in this unpredictable wilderness?

"Liu Yan, what brings you to this place?" Qin Wentian approached, still believing Liu Yan to be the one who had saved his life previously.

"I'm here to take the entrance exam for the Divine Wind Academy. But for now, please extinguish your light and join us inside the tent. The light could attract demonic beasts," Liu Yan advised, her tone gentle.

Inside the tent, two other young people were present besides Liu Yan. One was her brother, Liu Yue, and the other was her friend, Zufan.

Liu Yue raised an eyebrow, a hint of displeasure on his face as he questioned, "Liu Yan, why have you brought strangers here?"

Liu Yan replied, "Brother, this person is the one we encountered in the forested region outside of Sky Harmony City. His name is Qin Wentian."

She turned to Qin Wentian and asked, "By the way, why did you venture into the Dark Forest? Are you also here for the training expedition?"

"We're applicants from the Emperor Star Academy," Fan Le stated confidently, straightening his clothes as he approached. He extended his arm with a flourish. "My dear lady, I hope you're doing well. I'm Fan Le, hailing from the Emperor Star Academy."

"Emperor Star Academy," Liu Yan mused, her beautiful eyes sparkling as she shook hands with Fan Le.

"Liu Yan, you're not only beautiful but talented as well. Quite a rare combination," Fan Le remarked.

Liu Yan blushed, attempting to retract her hand, but Fan Le seemed determined to maintain his grip.

"Is this your tent? You all seem quite experienced in wilderness survival. Qin Wentian is my buddy, which makes you my friend too!" Fan Le declared enthusiastically.

Qin Wentian's eyes widened, utterly flabbergasted as he watched Fan Le prattle on while still holding Liu Yan's hand. This guy was truly a character.

Blushing, Liu Yan finally managed to pull her hand away and shot a glance at Qin Wentian.

"I don't know him," Qin Wentian replied, beads of cold sweat forming on his brow. Fan Le was turning out to be embarrassingly overenthusiastic.

"Since our paths crossed by chance, I reckon we can consider ourselves friends now," Liu Yue warmly addressed Qin Wentian and Fan Le as he approached with a friendly smile. "Although this tent might not be much, you're more than welcome to share it with us and rest for the night."

Fan Le eagerly chimed in, "Absolutely, no need to stand on ceremony. We'll gladly take you up on your offer."

Meanwhile, Qin Wentian remained silent, standing to the side.

With a sly grin, he excused himself, saying, "Liu Yan, Fan Le, I think I'll take a stroll. You two enjoy your chat."

Fan Le couldn't help but shoot Qin Wentian an annoyed look as he left. Once alone with Liu Yan, he quipped, "This guy..."

Catching up to Qin Wentian, Fan Le asked, "What's the deal? Don't you like Liu Yan?"

Qin Wentian shook his head and explained, "It's not that I don't like her. Her personality is decent, but her two companions don't seem all that welcoming. Why linger where we're not wanted? Besides, I sense some hidden hostility out there, like there are eyes on us. Right now, what I need most is to grow stronger. I can't afford to disappoint them." A cold, confident smile played across Qin Wentian's lips, giving Fan Le pause.

"All right, all right, let the top genius from Emperor Star Academy have some fun with them too," Fan Le said with a grin, brushing off Qin Wentian's seriousness.

Ignoring Fan Le's bravado, Qin Wentian found a spot beneath an ancient-looking tree and sat down, crossing his legs. He closed his eyes, preparing for cultivation. Suddenly, cracking and ripping sounds echoed from his body, akin to the roar of ferocious waves in a tempestuous ocean.

Fan Le narrowed his eyes, observing Qin Wentian's formidable technique. Nonetheless, he decided it was time to show his own mettle. With a swift dash, Fan Le ventured deeper into the Dark Forest.

Under the starlit canopy, Qin Wentian appeared tranquil, but inside, his Astral Energy surged, harmonizing with the cascading starlight. A tyrannical force coursed through him, refining his inner organs and Stellar Meridians, ceaselessly perfecting his body.

By the second day, before dawn, all the applicants were on the move. Qin Wentian opened his eyes and saw Fan Le sprawled beside him, clutching a new bow and a handful of arrows in his hands.

"Fatty, it's time to move," Qin Wentian prodded Fan Le, who rubbed his bleary eyes and let out a wide yawn. He then grinned at Qin Wentian.

Curiosity brimming in his voice, Qin Wentian asked, "How did you manage to craft that bow and those arrows?" Despite their somewhat crude appearance, they exuded an air of unparalleled sharpness.

Fan Le replied nonchalantly, "Oh, I just chopped down a few ancient trees and took care of a few demonic beasts. Let's get going."

"Right." The two young men exchanged glances and then straightened up, hurrying deeper into the Dark Forest. They moved like a hurricane, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.

Moments later, a group of youths dashed after them. Surprisingly, Orfon from the Emperor Star Academy was among them, along with students from various other martial academies.

"After them! We can finally take action once we leave the safe zone!" Orfon shouted coldly as they pursued Fan Le and Qin Wentian like leopards tracking their prey.

"Fatty, I must say, you're surprisingly fast," Qin Wentian remarked as the first rays of dawn broke through. He marveled at Fan Le, who ran beside him with the agility of a jungle panther. His excess weight seemed to be no hindrance at all, and his movements were nimble and well-coordinated.

"Well, I am a genius," Fan Le boasted.

Qin Wentian chuckled and then informed him, "There are six people chasing us from behind."

"Orfon is among them, at the 2nd level of the Arterial Circulation Realm. There's another guy at the 1st level of the Arterial Circulation Realm, and four more at the Body Refinement Realm. They might be a bit challenging to deal with. Let's make them burn some energy first," Fan Le suggested, earning an intrigued glance from Qin Wentian.

Could this chubby fellow really gauge someone's cultivation level so effortlessly? Was he truly a genius?

"There's someone ahead," Qin Wentian said as he pointed to a spacious area in the distance.

"Royal Academy people. Leading them is Ye Zhan. I remember him from the Royal Academy's entrance exam. He should be at the 2nd level of the Arterial Circulation Realm. I can sense his killing intent even from here. Who on earth did you provoke? Quick, change direction," Fan Le urged, veering to the left as soon as he finished speaking. Qin Wentian followed without hesitation. The Ye Clan had gone all out to kill him, wielding considerable power and influence in the Royal Capital. If he hadn't joined the Emperor Star Academy, he might have met an untimely end.

Qin Wentian expressed his gratitude while they ran. "Fan Le, thank you."

Fan Le chuckled. "Don't be jealous. This fatty's talent is as vast as the sky. In the future, if you come across any beautiful girls you're not interested in, remember to introduce them to your dear old fatty here."

Their pursuers remained relentless. An hour later, they found themselves deep in the Dark Forest, surrounded by signs of demonic beast activity.

"We've still got four people on our tail. Fatty, what's their cultivation level?" Qin Wentian inquired, urgency in his voice.

Fan Le quickly responded, "There's Orfon, that other guy at the first level of the Arterial Circulation Realm, and two more at the Body Refinement Realm. Should we confront them?"

Without hesitation, Qin Wentian made his decision. "Let's do it."

He came to a halt, and Fan Le channeled Astral Energy into his feet. With a powerful stomp, the hefty man soared into the air, landing gracefully atop a towering tree. He flashed a confident smile at Qin Wentian and said, "I'll be the tactician, and you do the killing. Start with the two at the Body Refinement Realm."

"Agreed, let's go with your plan." For some inexplicable reason, Qin Wentian felt he could trust the rather crude-looking but surprisingly competent Fan Le with his life. He turned to face their pursuers, his resolve solidifying.

Orfon and his gang, noticing Qin Wentian's halt, slowed their advance. Their predatory gazes fixated on him, their intent to kill undisguised. They spread out, encircling Qin Wentian.

Curious, Qin Wentian addressed Orfon, "So, how much manpower has the Ye Clan mustered to get me killed this time?"

"Ye Clan? There are plenty of folks who want you and your uncle gone. He dared to rebel, but it's just a matter of time before his head rolls. As for Qin Wu and Qin Chuan, they've already been captured and locked up in the Black Castle Death Prison," Orfon replied with a cold laugh, gesturing for his henchmen to approach Qin Wentian from three different directions.

"Swish!" Suddenly, from behind Qin Wentian, an arrow of extraordinary sharpness shot forward with breathtaking speed. It zipped directly toward Orfon.

"Your left," Fan Le's voice echoed, and Qin Wentian immediately lunged to his left, closing in on a Body Refinement Realm cultivator.

"Swish, swish, swish..." Arrows continued to fly, targeting the other three pursuers, leaving the one on the left for Qin Wentian.

"Break!" Orfon summoned his spear-type Astral Soul. Radiant astral light converged on his long spear as it thrust toward the incoming arrow. But Fan Le's arrow seemed to possess a mind of its own. Its path was incredibly erratic, shifting directions several times before barely grazing Orfon's long spear and heading straight for the center of his forehead.

"What the...?" Orfon's expression twisted in shock as he thrust his left palm forward with Herculean force, retreating rapidly. He narrowly blocked the arrow, but it still managed to pierce through his palm, drawing fresh blood that stained the ground.

"An arrow that changes its course?"

Orfon wasn't the only one facing this conundrum. His two companions were struggling with the same issue. In addition, one of the Body Refinement Realm cultivators fell dead on the spot as the arrow pierced the space between his brows.

Before the arrows even made contact with the three of them, Qin Wentian unleashed a strike like the roar of a furious dragon upon the other Body Refinement Realm cultivator. The opponent's regret was instant as his own punch proved feeble in comparison to Qin Wentian's overwhelming strength.

The sound of breaking bones echoed through the air as Qin Wentian's Dragon Subduing Fist sliced through the cultivator, leaving him no time to release his Astral Soul before his body was obliterated by the crushing power of the punch.

In the blink of an eye, Qin Wentian and Fan Le had dispatched two of their pursuers.